Hospice Care Week: How to help your local hospice

A little seen view of Thorpe Hall pictured from the gardens on the east side of the building. Photo: Rowland Hobson

John Baker

Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice is calling on local people to support it through fundraising or volunteering during Hospice Care Week (8-14 October 2012).

The theme this year is ‘Hospice care, be surprised’, and highlights the inspiring and personal way that hospice care helps patients living with terminal illness add life to days, and extends to family and friends.

The annual awareness week run by Help the Hospices is in its second year and timed to coincide with World Hospice and Palliative Care Day (13 October), which aims to raise awareness and support across the globe.

“We look beyond a diagnosis and focus on the person and their needs. We treat everyone in our care individually, offering them as much flexibility and freedom as possible to make the most of the time they have left, and this care extends to their family and loves ones too.

“By supporting your local hospice, you can help us support people to live their lives, retain independence, where possible, and a sense of self. And when the time comes, to support them to have a good death; with dignity, pain free and in the place of their choice.”

The hospice is developing its services in line with Sue Ryder’s five year strategy and government’s changes in the way health and social care services will be commissioned in the future.

There is particular emphasis on developing effective integrated health and care services and developing more community-based services to support people in their own home.

Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall hospice has a number of successful examples of integrating care between providers to ensure service users have greater access to care and continued support.

Recently it has successfully developed a children’s bereavement programme in partnership with Peterborough Cruse Bereavement Care. Since 1996 the hospice also runs a day care service to support people with degenerative neurological conditions including multiple sclerosis, acquired brain injury and Parkinson’ disease.

Working in partnership with other local providers the day service helps people with neurological conditions to reach their full potential by improving their self-esteem, confidence and by providing mental stimulation through a range of activities.

Around 500,000 people die each year in England, many of whom need specialist medical care and emotional support, and due to an ageing population there will be increasingly more people who will need care and support.

Sue Ryder believes it’s a fundamental right that people should have access to quality care as and when they need it - and choice and control over the services they receive, and as such will continue to work with the NHS, GPs and other health and social care providers to develop this.

For more information on Sue Ryder – Thorpe Hall hospice and how you can support the hospice team to provide care that makes a difference, call 01733 330060 or visit www.sueryder.org

To make a donation send a cheque payable to Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall, to the Fundraising Office, Thorpe Hall Hospice, Thorpe Road, Peterborough,PE3 6LW or contact the fundraising office on 01733 330060 to make a donation over the phone.